LPL didn't want me? I joined SKT instead!

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained: Hero Proficiency Boost Card - Kog'Maw, the Maw of the Abyss, has had his proficiency increased to 100!]

Xiao Yan stretched comfortably as he listened to the notification in his mind.

"Big Mouth at max proficiency level?"

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. One of his ADCs had reached 100% proficiency. Now he had five ADCs with god-level proficiency. Before Ardent Censer was available, the bot lane was already secure. Even if KT targeted him with all their might, he wouldn't be afraid.

After all, there are only three ban slots in the playoffs, and who told the coach to target a rookie AD instead of Faker when he knew we had Faker on our team? Although he did play very well, LCK has never lacked flash-in-the-pan geniuses, and in all these years, only Faker has truly been called a genius.

Peanut is also a talented jungler, but he was also affected by the version of the game this season and his Dao heart was shattered. If it weren't for Xiao Yan's guidance and help to find his original intention, Peanut would have been an unstable bomb in the team.

Think about it, Faker is really strong. He carried Peanut, who was mentally unstable, Bang, who was in a slump, and Huni, who was being crushed by Khan and others, to the World Championship and even won the runner-up title.

Fortunately, he cheated, otherwise he would have felt inferior to Faker.

This time, Peanut reignited his fighting spirit, and he took Bang's place.

They will win this time!

He wanted to be the only Chinese player standing in the Bird's Nest stadium, holding the championship trophy, to tell the LPL teams that had rejected him that...

Hedong in thirty years and Hexi in thirty years.

Don't bully young poor!

…………

Meanwhile, in Shanghai, at the WE training base.

The air seemed to freeze, so still it was suffocating.

No one spoke; only the hum of the computer's fan could be heard.

Ben, the assistant, took off his headphones and secretly glanced at his partner beside him. Mystic was staring intently at the damage panel on the screen, his face pale, and his fingers holding the mouse were trembling slightly.

As the most direct victim, Ben knew better than anyone what had just happened.

That wasn't luck at all.

The control over distance, the calculation of damage, and the psychological warfare were all utterly overwhelming. Every time Mystic thought he could "kill," it was actually a carefully laid trap by the opponent.

It's like an adult playing with a toddler who has just learned to walk.

"Is this... really a newcomer?" Ben swallowed hard, not daring to utter a sound.

WE's coach, Hongmi, stood at the back, his face ashen. He gripped his notebook tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

As a coach, he could certainly see how egregious Xiao Yan's "marking" and "stopping" behaviors were during the match.

In professional competitions, this is practically rubbing your opponent's face into the ground.

"That's too much..." Hongmi gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath.

But he couldn't have an attack.

E-sports, food is the original sin.

If you win, your taunts are domineering; if you lose, your anger is just impotent rage.

Seeing his star AD carry looking so dejected, Redmi took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and clapped his hands: "Alright! It's just a practice match! Adjust your mindset, and come back strong next time! Mystic, don't let him affect you, play at your own pace!"

Mystic nodded blankly, but the confident light in his eyes had dimmed.

However, the nightmare had only just begun.

The next four practice matches were nothing short of a long, agonizing ordeal for Mystic.

In the second game, Xiao Yan picked Draven.

Axes flew, each strike drawing blood. Mystic's Ezreal trembled under the tower, even last-hitting a minion costing him half his health.

In the third round, Xiao Yan chose Kalista.

The skateboard shoes danced a death dance in Summoner's Rift, and Mystic's skills were like a master of outlining, unable to hit that agile figure no matter what he did.

The fourth round, the fifth round...

Mystic's performance visibly collapsed. He became hesitant to make moves, afraid to trade blows, and even his normal laning phase became timid and timid. Whenever Xiao Yan took a step forward, he would instinctively take three steps back.

That deep-seated fear had been forced out by Xiao Yan.

Ultimately, the training match ended in a crushing defeat for SKT, with SKT losing 5-0 to WE.

……

SKT training room.

"Nice!"

As the final crystal exploded, Wolf stretched lazily, took off his headphones, and exclaimed with satisfaction, "Wow, today's scrims were so much fun! The enemy bot lane was completely crushed!"

Huni also came over, looking at Xiao Yan with a mischievous grin: "Xiao Yan, why are you so fierce today? And... you seem to have a grudge against that Mystic? I saw you even rushed into the fountain to kill him in the last game."

Even the usually composed Faker cast a curious glance at him while tidying up his peripherals.

While professional players often try to suppress their opponents in practice matches, it's rare to see a player like Xiao Yan who plays with such obvious "personal grudges." It doesn't feel like he's trying to win; it feels more like he's trying to humiliate them.

Xiao Yan unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip of water, his expression calm, as if the Asura who had just wreaked havoc in the canyon was not him.

"We have a grudge," Xiao Yan said calmly.

The training room fell silent instantly.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him in surprise.

"What grudge?" Wolf's gossip-loving spirit burned brightly. "Did he steal your girlfriend?"

"Even more disgusting than that."

Xiao Yan put down the water bottle, his gaze becoming somewhat deep, and slowly said, "Before I came to SKT, I actually went to try out for WE."

"Oh?" Coach Kouma walked over, somewhat surprised. "Is that so? Then why didn't they sign you?"

Given Xiao Yan's talent, no team, unless they're blind, would let him go.

"No, it's because I didn't sign it."

"Their manager gave me a contract, but the terms..."

Xiao Yan's lips curled into a mocking sneer. Though his voice wasn't loud, each word was clear:

"ten years."

Base salary.

"There is no bonus share, but the penalty for breach of contract is astronomical."

Xiao Yan turned his head, looked at his dumbfounded teammates, and shrugged: "That manager was sitting on the leather sofa, looking at me like I was a beggar, and said: 'Kid, sign him, this is your only chance to play professionally in your life.'"

"What?!"

Wolf slammed his fist on the table, leaping to his feet, his fat face trembling. "Ten years?! And at base salary?! This is a fucking slave contract?!"

"Damn it... this is outrageous!" Huni couldn't help but curse. "Ten years? A professional player's prime is only a few years! This is practically ruining them!"

Even Faker, who had been expressionless the whole time, frowned deeply, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.

For these top players, respect and value are equally important. A ten-year contract with a base salary is not only exploitation, but also the ultimate insult to the personality of a talented player.

"How dare they offer such terms?" Peanut asked incredulously. "Are they treating us like idiots?"

"They probably thought I was an easy target, a newcomer with no connections," Xiao Yan said casually. "So, I refused and bought a plane ticket to South Korea."

At this point, Xiao Yan smiled, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes: "Today's training match is my 'return gift' to them. I want them to know what they really were that they threw away like trash back then."

A brief silence fell over the training room.

Then, a hand slammed down on Xiao Yan's shoulder.

It's Wolf.

"Well done, Xiao Yan!" Wolf exclaimed indignantly. "This kind of trash team deserves a good beating! If it were me, I'd definitely be typing insults at them in the public chat!"

"That's right." Faker pushed up his glasses, looked at Xiao Yan, and said seriously, "You did the right thing. Strength is the best counterattack. From now on, when you meet them, don't hold back."

"Don't worry, Sang-hyeok-ge." A cold glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. "As long as I'm on the field, WE will never be able to hold their heads high in front of me."

Coach Kouma watched this scene with a sense of relief.

Fortunately, WE was blind to their own shortcomings; they're likely in big trouble at the World Championship.

This year almost turned out to be LPL's best chance yet.

Hehe, now Xiao Yan is on our side. LPL is going to suffer a lot.

After that WE scrim match that could be described as a "massacre," SKT's training room returned to its usual rigorous and busy state.

Xiao Yan suppressed the murderous aura that seemed to want to devour his opponent alive. For the next few days, he practiced with heroes or led Faker and the others to try out different tactics. He had many advanced strategies in his mind, experiences for the future.

This shocked Kouma greatly, and he wanted to pry open Xiao Yan's head to see how he came up with so many tactics.

……

Time flies, and the highly anticipated LCK playoffs semifinals have finally kicked off at the OGN eSports Arena in Seoul.

SKT T1 vs. KT Rolster.

This is more than just a match; it's the most prestigious "telecom agency war" in the history of Korean esports.

That year, KT was dubbed the "Galactic Battleship." Top laner Smeb, jungler Score, mid laner Pawn, and bot lane duo Deft and Mata. Their only goal was to win the championship.

The arena was packed, with red SKT lightsticks and white KT lightsticks clearly dividing the stands in two. The air was thick with tension, and every player's entrance was met with deafening screams.

In the commentary booth, the "Roaring Emperor" Jeon Yong-jun was passionately hyping up the match:

"Ladies and gentlemen! The moment has finally arrived! SKT vs. KT! Will it be the continuation of a dynasty, or the rise of a super team? Today, we will witness history!"

"Exactly!" CloudTemplar, the commentator next to him, chimed in, "There are so many highlights today! The fateful duel between Faker and Pawn, the top lane clash between Smeb and Huni... but what I'm most looking forward to is the bot lane!"

"The world-class duo of Deft and Mata will be facing SKT's rookie AD, Xiao Yan! His performance against SSG was amazing, but can he maintain that dominance against the experienced 'Alpaca' and 'Brain'?"

On the big screen, the camera cut to the players' seats.

The atmosphere at KT's place was particularly heavy.

Mata was speaking rapidly to Deft, her brow furrowed.

Meanwhile, on SKT's side, Xiao Yan was leaning back in his chair, chewing gum with a relaxed expression, as if this was not a life-or-death playoff, but an ordinary ranking match.

"BP has started!"

With a crisp sound effect, the first round of ban/pick officially began.

"BP has started!"

With a crisp sound effect, the first round of ban/pick officially began.

Blue side KT, red side SKT.

The moment KT's first-floor ban slot lit up, the entire arena erupted in uproar.

Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover, Ban!

"Wow!" Jeon Yongjun exclaimed, "KT didn't hesitate at all! They immediately took down Caitlyn! It seems Xiao Yan's Caitlyn play against SSG in the last match left KT with quite a psychological scar!"

Mata pushed up her glasses, her eyes cold.

As a top-tier support player, he knew all too well how much pressure a top-tier Caitlyn could put on the team in terms of tower pushing tempo.

He didn't want to gamble on the newcomer's performance.

Next up was KT's second ban.

Kalista, the Spear of Vengeance, Ban!

This time, even the SKT rest room was filled with gasps of amazement.

"This..." Coach Koma paused slightly in his hand holding the notebook, then gave a wry smile. "It seems they are really wary of you, Xiao Yan."

Two ban slots!

When facing SKT, who have a demon king like Faker, KT actually used both of their first two bans to target a rookie AD!

Although this new AD is indeed very impressive.

This is absolutely unprecedented in the history of LCK!

"Wow, this is some serious treatment!" Wolf exclaimed in the voice chat. "Wow, Xiao Yan, you're getting superstar treatment now! Even Deft is afraid of you!"

Xiao Yan glanced at the two grayed-out avatars and simply smiled faintly: "Afraid of me? That's a good thing. The more afraid they are, the more flaws they'll reveal."

At this moment, the chat room was exploding with comments:

Holy crap! KT is so cowardly? Giving two bans to rookies?!

[Is this cowardice? This is respect! Didn't you see the game against Samsung? The female police officer and Kalista were practically scripted!]

[Deft: I don't want to go to jail under the tower, thank you.]

[Faker: ??? What about me? I don't even deserve a name?]

As if hearing the voices of Faker's fans, KT finally hesitated for a long time before deciding on their third ban.

The coach and Mata were having a heated discussion. If they didn't ban the mid lane, allowing Faker to pick Ryze or Cassiopeia, their signature champions, the consequences would be unimaginable. But if they didn't target the bot lane…

Finally, as the countdown was about to end, KT secured their third ban.

LeBlanc, the Deceiver, Ban!

The audience erupted in applause!

"That was the perfect strategy!" CloudTemplar shouted. "Caitlyn, Kalista, LeBlanc! KT's tactical intentions are very clear. They shut down Xiao Yan's two best offensive AD carries, and then gave Faker the utmost respect! For a rookie, that's the highest praise!"

"This puts SKT in a difficult position," another commentator analyzed. "Just how good is Xiao Yan's champion pool? Without Caitlyn and Kalista, can he still exert pressure against Deft's Ezreal or Varus?"

"No, Xiao Yan is also very good at playing Varus."

The camera focused on Xiao Yan, and everyone expected to see a panicked or solemn expression on his face.

However, it did not.

As Xiao Yan looked at the screen, the smile in his eyes deepened.

"Did they ban the policewoman and the skateboard shoes...?" he murmured to himself, his fingers lightly tapping the keyboard.

Want to play Varus?

Unfortunately, KT didn't give him a chance.

Without hesitation, KT, the blue team, locked in Varus, the Arrow of Retribution, on their first floor!

The Roaring Emperor was instantly excited!